Miami GP driver ratings: Max Verstappen shines with defensive masterclass

Oscar Piastri - 8.5

Oscar Piastri made it a hat-trick of wins in 2025 after coming out on top at the Miami Grand Prix. It was far from a perfect weekend, but he did enough to take the win ahead of McLaren teammate Lando Norris.

Lando Norris - 8

Norris was unfortunate to lose out on the opening lap, coming off worse against Max Verstappen once again. While his racecraft was once again suspect, his pace this weekend was mighty. It’s an ominous sign for the rest of the season.

George Russell - 7.5

Miami was arguably George Russell’s weakest weekend of the 2025 F1 season so far. However, a timely Virtual Safety Car propelled him ahead of Verstappen and onto the podium.

Max Verstappen - 9

Verstappen continues to be F1’s standout performer, producing a breathtaking lap to take pole position. His defence against the McLarens was world class, even if it potentially cost him a podium.

Alex Albon - 8.5

Alex Albon put together another fine performance to come away with fifth in Miami. While he was out-qualified by Carlos Sainz, Albon delivered a strong race performance.

Kimi Antonelli - 7.5

Kimi Antonelli starred in the two qualifying sessions at the Miami International Autodrome, taking pole for the sprint race and third for the grand prix. His inexperience showed in both races, but encouraging signs nonetheless.

Charles Leclerc - 7.5

A tough weekend for Ferrari on the whole in Miami. Charles Leclerc had a slight edge on teammate Lewis Hamilton in qualifying, which was also the case in the race once the team orders saga played out. He was a passenger in his shunt before the sprint, in heavy rain conditions.

Lewis Hamilton - 7.5

It was a better weekend for Hamilton despite his Q2 exit. Had Ferrari deployed team orders earlier, he could have potentially had a run at Antonelli.

Carlos Sainz - 7.5

Sainz was left to rue damage on the opening lap for his underwhelming grand prix performance in Miami. However, the Spaniard continues to show flashes of brilliance as he gets up to speed at Williams.

Yuki Tsunoda - 6

Q3 and a points finish is a reasonable return for Yuki Tsunoda. He finished 30 seconds behind teammate Verstappen before his five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane was applied.

Isack Hadjar - 7.5

Another tidy weekend from Isack Hadjar. Racing Bulls never looked like being a top 10 contender on pure pace, as he narrowly missed out on a points finish.

Esteban Ocon - 7.5

Esteban Ocon was the quicker of the two Haas cars in Miami. The timing of the Virtual Safety Car ruined his chance of a points finish.

Pierre Gasly - 6.5

A lacklustre weekend for Pierre Gasly in Miami. He was out-qualified by under-pressure teammate Jack Doohan. Starting from the pit lane, he recovered to finish 13th.

Nico Hulkenberg - 6.5

Nico Hülkenberg was perplexed by Sauber’s decision not to stop him under the VSC, having started on the hard tyre. He ultimately finished 14th.

Fernando Alonso - 6.5

Miami was another tough weekend for Aston Martin. Fernando Alonso produced some magic to qualify inside the top 10 for the sprint. However, he was taken out of the sprint race by Liam Lawson. In the grand prix, he had an uncharacteristic spin.

Lance Stroll - 6

A clean sprint race meant that Lance Stroll came away with four points. This is a big result, considering Aston Martin probably has the slowest car in F1 - along with Sauber - at the moment.

Liam Lawson - 4

Another tough weekend for Lawson. He was deemed to be at fault for the collision with Alonso in the sprint, incurring a five-second time penalty. His grand prix was ruined on the opening lap after an incident with Jack Doohan at Turn 1. Lawson was forced to retire due to the damage sustained.

Gabriel Bortoleto - 6.5

Gabriel Bortoleto produced an impressive qualifying lap to make it into Q2 in Miami. A power unit issue meant his race ended early.

Oliver Bearman - 5

A tricky weekend for Oliver Bearman, who qualified last for Haas. His race ended prematurely due to a power unit failure.

Jack Doohan - 5

Doohan was pleased to out-qualify Gasly in Miami, particularly with the speculation surrounding his F1 future. However, he misjudged the start and ran into the side of Lawson, effectively ruining both drivers’ races.